I'll Be There
by The Telepathic Hawk
Summary: A fluffy interconnected series of one shots mostly about the relationship between Burt and Kurt Hummel. Puck/Kurt in later chapters. Burt/Carole and Finn/Rachel as well.
1. I'll Be There

**Title:** I'll Be There  
**Author:** telepathichawk  
**Rating:** K+, PG  
**Character(s)/Pairing(s):** Burt, Kurt. Puck/Kurt in later chapters. Burt/Carole, Finn/Rachel  
**Genre:** General/Family

**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** Anything up to the end of season one is fair game, though I'm not sure there's anything really.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee. I make no profit from this.  
**Author Notes:** This small series was inspired by six songs. They are as follows: "I'll Be There" as performed by The Jackson Five, "Lullaby" as performed by Billy Joel, "Breeze Off the River" from the musical The Full Monty, "When You Come Back Down" as performed by Nicklecreek, "Child of Mine" as performed by Carol King, and "All You Need is Love" as performed by The Beatles. I hope you enjoy it! Please review if you have a moment.  
**Summary: **A fluffy interconnected series of one shots mostly about the relationship between Burt and Kurt Hummel.

**Word Count:** ~2,500

Kurt was two weeks away from his forth birthday when Burt came to a realization that literally left him speechless and gaping as he watched his beautiful wife and young son look at the shoes against the wall in JC Penney. His son Kurt, the apple of his eye and his every hope for the future, was…gay.

It had started innocently enough with a simple question as he and Connie swung Kurt between them in the wide aisle of the department store.

"So, Kurtie, what do you want for your birthday?"

"Shoes!" Kurt said with a wide, toothy smile on his angelic face as he looked up at Burt and his heart melted all over again at seeing the little boy he and the woman he loved had made. Kurt looked so much like Connie sometimes it was scary. But, his mile wide stubborn streak and his certainty that he was always right were pure Hummel. No man was ever more proud of his son.

"What kind of shoes, baby?" Connie laughed and followed Kurt over to the heels when he dashed away from them.

He just stared as Connie explained the difference between sensible shoes and fun shoes to Kurt and they both giggled as they tried on heels together and their boy attempted to walk in them and fell unsteadily into Connie's waiting arms. Burt's knees were weak as he made his way to the little stool set out to aid in the trying on of shoes. He sat heavily and Connie looked over at him and he could see in her eyes that she already knew and that they'd talk about it later. Her eyes warned him that it wasn't the time and if he did anything to spoil the way their little boy was giggling and twirling she'd lock him out of their room and he'd be on the couch until kingdom come. He swallowed hard and looked at Kurt again.

Sure, Kurt had always been a little bit…prissy was the only word to describe it. Even at two when most kids, not just little boys, were more than ready and willing to get dirty, Kurt refused to get in the sandbox at the playground. He just screaming his head off when Burt tried to put him down. And he'd always preferred the Barbie dolls sweet little Brittany brought over to the teenaged mutant ninja turtles and G.I. Joes that Burt bought him when he started playing with multiple characters and making up stories for them. And what the hell type of three year old asked his mama to dress him in complimentary colors and threw a fit when his clothes wrinkled?

A gay one. It wasn't any easier to think the second time than the first. He tried to forget about, tried to smile at his boy's sweet enjoyment of the feminine shoes, but he couldn't and it ruined the afternoon for all of them. The trip home in the car was tense and silent. Even Kurt, who normally chattered away about anything and everything, simply sat in his booster and played quietly with, Burt winced when he looked in the rearview mirror, one the Barbie dolls Brittany left at their house.

"Baby doll, can you give Mommy and Daddy a minute?" Connie said quietly when they got home.

Kurt nodded, his big, bright eyes wide and confused as they flicked back and forth between his parents. He hugged the Barbie close to his chest and shuffled off, ridiculously silent still.

"Burt…" Connie whispered when Kurt had been gone at least thirty seconds.

"He's a fag, Connie! Why the hell didn't I see it before? Our son's a fucking fag!"

The punch, when it came, was shocking as the pain hit him like lightning right across his cheek. Through that he felt a jolt of pride. No insulting slaps, not from his girl. No, his wife had a mean right hook.

"If I ever hear that word come from your lips again, Burtram Hummel, I swear that I will take Kurt and move back in with my parents and you will never see us again." She was hissing and her eyes were flashing and she'd never been more beautiful or more honest. She'd do exactly what she said. Pain, stronger than the punch, struck him in the gut. It took him a minute to realize that she was still talking, "I know that this isn't exactly what you were hoping for from Kurt, Hummel," She was using his last name. Those were the big guns. It was the only thing she had called him when they were dating, "But, God, look at him! He's not even four! If there's a better argument for some people are just born this way, I can't find one! And he's still our baby! We still created him together. He's still the little one you brought into our bed every night the first month he was home because you couldn't sleep without being able to just open your eyes and see that he was breathing! Do you remember that, Hummel? Because I do. I've never been more in love with you."

He remembered. He remembered like it was yesterday The first night they tried to put Kurt in a crib in the nursery he'd gotten up twenty times to lay two fingers on Kurt's tiny little back just to make sure that he was breathing. Eventually Connie just moaned at him to bring Kurt back to bed with him if he was going to get up twice as often as Kurt even cried. Connie said she was never more in love with him. He'd never been more in love either, with her of course, but also with a kid. It was something he'd never expected. He'd fallen in love with Kurt the moment he was born, collapsing in a chair against the wall and burying his face in his hands. Kurt's birth had shaken him to his core. When Kurt had been just minutes old Burt had been ready to kill or die for him. It had only gotten stronger as Kurt got older.

"Connie…" His voice was shaky.

"Burt, I want you to take a drive," Connie whispered, turning away, hands gripping her elbows as if she were hugging herself, "I want you to think long and hard. I know this is going to be hard for you, but I want you to think about how you felt the minute Kurt was born and about how you felt that whole month when you couldn't bear to have him out of your sight. I want you to think about what your life would be like without Kurt in it. More important…I want you to think about what Kurt's life would be like without you in it. Take as long as you need. We'll still be here, promise." She turned back to him and the tears running down her face cut him to the bone. She took two strides to him and lifted herself up on her toes to press her lips to his cheek gently, "If this is a factor…know that I love you, but if I have to choose between you and Kurt…"

"You'd choose him," Burt finished for her. He hugged her close, "I wouldn't love you if you didn't. I'll be back soon."

It was hard to admit that he had to think about it, but he did. His family…they'd never been accepting. A gay man was a fag. A lesbian was a dyke. He wanted to say that it wasn't fair that Connie was making him confront his prejudices and asking him to let them go but, it was fair. If it was about their baby, everything was fair. He drove for hours, stopping to fill up once and did what Connie asked. He thought about it. He thought about how he had always loved Kurt and how he still loved him. He pictured his life without Kurt and Connie. He was still young enough, he had a good job. He could probably have another girlfriend in a couple of months. He could be married again before the next two years were out. But, when he tried to think of waking up next to anyone but Connie, when he thought about not being able to just walk down the hall and find Kurt sleeping peacefully and happily, his gut clenched. Then he did the other thing she had asked of him and tried to picture Kurt's life without him. He couldn't really see Kurt grown, even in his mind, but he didn't imagine that teenaged boys would be any different when Kurt was their age than when he had been. And in his mind he could definitely picture the blood when Kurt was hit, he could hear him cry out in pain and fear, crying for his father. And there was no one there. He pulled his truck over, pushed the door open, and fell to his knees in the dirt, gagging and heaving. Anger curled in his chest as he thought about those who would potentially hurt his baby boy and anger at himself for having to take time at all.

He wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt, got back in the truck, and began the long drive home. When he passed the mall, he made a pit-stop and begged the sales lady to let him in, just for five minutes. She smiled and he watched her eyes go misty when he told her what he needed. She told him that she had a little boy, too and that she knew what it was like to just have to get something. She raised an eyebrow at his purchase, but he just shrugged and she smiled again. He thanked her a million times as they made their way to their cars together and was home in record time.

When he pulled up in the drive he was surprised to see that the lights were still on in the house. He could hear music coming from the living room and made his way there as quickly as he possibly could. When he got there he had to lean against the door frame and just smile as his heart stuttered a little. Connie was twirling around the room with Kurt in her arms, leaning back, his hair flying out as he giggled and Connie sang along in that sweet voice of hers. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him in the room.

"Hummel?" She asked. He hated the fear in her voice.

He just smiled and looked at his little boy in the dinosaur pajamas looking at him with a question and trepidation in his eyes that cut into Burt's heart. He called out Kurt's name softly and smiled when Kurt climbed down from his mom's arms. Burt crouched and looked him in the eye.

"Baby…" He pulled the box out from behind his back, "I know that your birthday isn't for a couple of weeks, but I thought that you deserved this for…just for being you, okay?"

"Okay!" Kurt parroted and smiled wide, holding out his little arms. When he tore into the package, Burt had never felt more proud of himself than when Kurt squealed and threw his arms around Burt's neck, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"What did you do, Hummel?" Connie asked. Her voice was back to normal and he could finally breathe right again.

"Mommy, they're just like yours! Sens'ble! Just like you said!" Kurt squealed, plopping down on his butt and practically trembling as he tried to put the little heels on. They were black patent leather with a bow on the buckle. Just one look at them and Burt knew that they were for Kurt. He took one from Kurt and helped him put it on while Kurt just kept chattering and Connie covered her mouth and let a couple of happy tears fall from her eyes. He couldn't look at her because he knew that if he did he would start to cry, too. And the day had already been difficult enough. He helped Kurt to his feet and grinned so hard his face felt like it was going to split when Kurt began to twirl, lifting his arms above his head and closing his eyes.

How did he even have to think? He never would…never could…leave this. He wanted to be there for every moment, no matter how uncomfortable some things made him. Because he knew they would. He wasn't stupid enough to believe that his choice was going to be easy. But, he also knew that it was the best one of his life.

"Hey, I know this one!" Burt said when the song changed. He picked his boy up and had to swallow hard when Kurt wrapped his little arms around Burt's neck again buried his cold little nose in Burt's neck. They swayed for a moment to the song and Burt hummed the melody brokenly in Kurt's ear. Connie wrapped her arms around Burt from behind and rested her hands on Kurt's legs. He'd never felt more complete. Why did he even have to think?

"Daddy," Kurt whispered after a while, "Will you marry me?"

Burt had to stifle his laugh when Connie whispered, "He asked me the same thing before you came home. I think he saw it on the tv this afternoon."

"You know what, buddy?" Burt pressed a kiss to Kurt's hair, "I'm already married to your mom. But, someday you're going to find some…" He had to swallow hard, but he got it out, "…guy who you love like I love your mom and you're going to want to marry him. And I am going to fight like hell to make sure that you're allowed to do that, baby. I swear."

Connie made a noise from the back of her throat and he knew he'd said the right thing.

"Daddy, you said a bad word!" Kurt scolded, leaning back in his arms, his serious eyes wide and scandalized.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Burt kissed his forehead, "Sorry, buddy."

"S'okay," Kurt sighed sleepily and laid his head against Burt's shoulder again, "Love you, Daddy."

"Love you, too, Kurtie. Love you so much."

"You're a good man, Hummel," Connie whispered and placed a kiss to the back of his neck before laying her cheek to his back again.

He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of his family surrounding him. This…this was right. This was home. He cracked one eye open and looked at the little girl's heel on his son's foot. He sighed deeply. He could just used to that.

"Daddy, sing," Kurt mumbled sleepily. Connie chuckled behind him.

"Our boy doesn't have much of a discerning ear," she murmured.

"Shut up, Hummel," He shot back at her quietly, then began to rock them gently as he closed his eyes and did what his boy asked.

_Don't you know, baby, yeah yeah_

_I'll be there_

_I'll be there_

_Whenever you need me_

_I'll be there_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** I'll Be There (2/6)  
**Author:** telepathichawk  
**Rating:** K+, PG  
**Character(s)/Pairing(s):** Burt, Kurt. Puck/Kurt in later chapters. Burt/Carole, Finn/Rachel  
**Genre:** General/Family  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** Anything up to the end of season one is fair game, though I'm not sure there's anything really.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee. I make no profit from this.  
**Author Notes:** This small series was inspired by six songs. They are as follows: "I'll Be There" as performed by The Jackson Five, "Lullaby" as performed by Billy Joel, "Breeze Off the River" from the musical The Full Monty, "When You Come Back Down" as performed by Nicklecreek, "Child of Mine" as performed by Carol King, and "All You Need is Love" as performed by The Beatles.  
Please comment if you have a moment! Thanks so much!  
**Summary:** A fluffy interconnected series of one shots mostly about the relationship between Burt and Kurt Hummel.  
**Word Count:** ~2,300

"Connie, I can't do this without you, baby…" Burt whispered desperately as he squeezed his eyes shut to block the tears from falling, slammed his fists on the counter and bent at the waist in a pain that was nowhere near physical. He'd thought, just after they'd gotten that final diagnosis –terminal- that the hardest thing he'd ever have to go through in his life would be losing his much loved and much cherished wife. But, he'd been wrong. Trying to raise Kurt alone, trying to be both father and mother to a hurting little boy and knowing that he was failing him was much, much harder.

"I hate you, Daddy! I wish you died instead of Mommy!"

The words were still echoing in his ears and they hurt like hell, but not nearly as badly as the ones he'd said in reply.

"I hate you, too, you little shit! And I didn't die so you're just going to have to fucking live with it! Go to your fucking room!"

The stricken look that had crossed Kurt's face, the automatic pain, had torn into him. Kurt had already been crying because of dinner and he'd only hurt him more. He muffled his frustrated scream by biting his knuckle and slammed his free hand on the counter again. What had he been thinking? He'd tried to make Connie's spaghetti sauce from the recipe she had put on a card for him when they were preparing for her death but it hadn't turned out quite right. He'd known, just known, that something must have happened at school because Kurt was quiet and Kurt was never quiet. So, his boy was already on the verge of a major breakdown and tantrum before they even started eating and he'd seen it and chosen to ignore it. It was the first time he'd tried to make any of Connie's regular dishes. He'd figured, after a good day at the shop, that now, as they were reaching the six month marker, it might be okay to try one of them. He should have just ordered Chinese or a pizza when he saw that Kurt was already upset, but he just hadn't been thinking. And the sauce, off by just a little, had been enough to throw Kurt over the edge.

"It doesn't taste right."

"It's the exact same sauce your mom used to make, Kurt."

"No, it's not! Something doesn't taste right!"

"Yes, it is, Kurt! Now, just eat!"

"No, I won't! You don't make it like Mommy! I want Mommy to make it!" That's when the big tears had begun rolling down Kurt's face and Burt had had to look away because he was feeling the lump in his throat himself.

"Kurt, your mom's gone."

"I want her back!"

"She's not coming back, Kurt. She's dead."

Then, Kurt had yelled that he hated him and Burt had lost his temper and now he was trying to keep himself upright in the kitchen and fighting sobs as he wondered whether he should have just let the Connie's parents take Kurt when they requested it. He'd been so sure that he could do this, that he had to do this, and it had been one of Connie's last requests that he always take care of their little boy, but he was sure that the Baldwin's wouldn't be messing everything up like he was. Maybe it would have been better…But, no. Kurt was his son. And they needed each other. They were going to get through this.

"Give yourself a break, Hummel," He whispered. Connie had told him to tell himself that whenever things got like this. She'd known. She'd always known how hard it was going to be for them without her. He wished, more than anything, that she were there right now to wrap her arms around him and tell him herself. In that moment he would have given almost anything just to hear her sweet voice whispering in his ear.

"You're only human." He pushed himself upright on the second part of the message and swiped the back of his hand across his slightly wet eyes.

"And you're a great dad." He looked up that the ceiling, "Maybe not such a great dad right now, huh, sweetheart? But, I'm going to be. I swear it."

He sighed deeply, took one more taste of the sauce that he'd made and winced. Kurt was right. It didn't taste right. And it was just too soon. He shouldn't have tried it. He poured the rest of it down the disposal, wanting to give Kurt a little bit more time to calm down. They were both in the wrong and he would be the one to say that he was sorry first. He should be. He was the dad. He just had to see past the words and the anger to the hurt that Kurt had been trying to show him since he had gotten home. He kissed the card that Connie had written in her own hand and put it back in the recipe box.

"Enough stalling, Hummel," he whispered.

He climbed the stairs to Kurt's small room and paused before the door. He could hear Kurt sniffling and felt his heart shatter all over again. His baby was just so sensitive. He laid his forehead to the door for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Kurt was only eight. Sometimes he acted so mature, took care of Burt as much as Burt was taking care of him, that he seemed so much older. But, he was, in reality, just a hurting little boy who didn't understand why his mother was taken away and who wanted her back more than anything. Burt could understand that. He didn't know why Connie had been taken from them either. And he wanted her back. For Kurt as much as for himself.

"Kurt…Baby…" He pushed the door open and was nearly knocked over when the small form of his son launched itself from the bed. Kurt wrapped his small, surprisingly strong arms Burt's waist and buried his face in Burt's stomach. Burt could feel his tears leaking through the flannel.

"I'm sorry, Daddy!" Kurt sobbed, "I'm so sorry! I don't want you to die! I'm so sorry!"

"Ah, Kurt…" Burt loosened the little arms from around his waist and fell to his knees, wrapping Kurt up in his arms and burying his face in his son's soft hair, "I'm sorry, too, baby. I didn't mean what I said. I lost my temper. You know that I love you, don't you, buddy?"

"I know," Kurt whimpered, "I love you, too, Daddy."

"Come on, bud. We need to get out of here for a bit." He picked Kurt up and felt some little part of him mend when Kurt laid his head on his shoulder trustingly.

Half an hour later found them at the little pond Burt and Connie had taken Kurt to when they told him that Connie was sick. As her illness progressed the pond and the little rowboat on it, owned by Carlos, the other mechanic at Burt's shop and his best friend, had become their escape. When the three of them were in the boat nothing else existed. They could just be. Maybe it wasn't time yet to make Connie's recipes, but it would always be time for the boat. Burt helped Kurt into the rowboat and set them adrift on the small pond. They still had a good forty minutes at least before the sun set. It would be a good amount time for them to both calm and settle. They smiled at each other, but didn't say anything as they ate the McDonald's that Burt had picked up on their way. When they were done Burt laid down in the bottom of the boat without a word and Kurt curled up on his chest. Burt wrapped his arms around him and they sighed together as Kurt settled his little head under Burt's chin.

"I miss Mommy, Daddy," Kurt whispered after a little while.

"I miss her, too, Kurtie," Burt admitted, "I miss her a lot. But, we can't hurt each other because of how much we miss her, okay? If you're sad or you don't feel good or even if you're mad you have to tell me before it gets so big inside that you feel like you have to yell, okay? And I promise you that I'll do the same. I'll try not to yell at you again, Kurt. I'm sorry I did."

"I'm sorry, too, Daddy. And I promise to try like you said." Kurt sniffled and snuggled.

Burt was glad he was lying down because he would have had to sit. Kurt had always surprised him and Connie with how mature, how smart, he was and now was no exception. Burt knew that Kurt understood everything he'd said and that he would try to talk to Burt before he exploded at him again. He wondered if it was healthy that his eight year-old be so emotionally mature. He decided that it didn't matter. Maybe it was Kurt's coping mechanism, like that quack he'd taken him to right after Connie died said. He'd taken him because the Baldwins had recommended that they both go to counseling and it seemed like a good idea. But, the maturity was the only thing Burt thought he might have been right about because he'd said that he'd said there were ways to make Kurt "normal" and pushed a pamphlet for a "degayification" camp at him. Burt had punched him, picked Kurt up, walked out and stayed angry until they were at home and Kurt was comfortably in bed. That was when the hopelessness struck and he'd spent the next twenty minutes in a hot shower, biting his knuckles so that Kurt wouldn't hear his sobs. How was he supposed to raise Kurt to be confident and love himself all alone in a world dead set against his boy being happy as he was? He still didn't know how he was going to do it alone, but he didn't know how he and Connie would have done it either. All he knew was that he was going to do it. No matter what, he was going to do it. He tightened his arms around Kurt's small frame.

"What happened today at school that upset you so much, Kurtie?"

"Noah Puckerman…"

Burt remembered Rebeka Puckerman from high school. Her name had been Rosenberg then and she'd been three years younger than them. Neither of them had ever really been good friends with her, but everyone loved her. She was sweet and bright, always had a smile on her pretty face. Everyone in Lima, still in the small town mindset despite their growing population, had been shocked and felt a little betrayed when she'd taken up with Eli Puckerman. She'd gotten pregnant her senior year of high school, they'd married, and she'd lost the baby. It might have been better if they had split then, but they hadn't and the next year she was pregnant again. Three months later Connie had found out she was pregnant and Burt hadn't really heard much about Beks again until a couple of months ago when he overheard in the shop that Eli, who had apparently been beating her and their little boy Noah, had finally taken off, leaving Noah with a broken arm and Beks with a black eye and another baby in her belly. Good riddance to bad rubbish, Burt thought, though he was sorry for how hard things were going to be for Rebeka. He told himself that he would try to find a way to help her out without making it feel like a handout. One thing he did remember about her was her pride.

"What about Noah, son?"

"He was so sad today because of his daddy and I tried to tell him that it was okay. I thought…"

"You thought, because of your mom, you might understand a little better than some other people?"

Kurt nodded against his chest, "But, he didn't want to talk to me. He called me the bad name Mommy said I'm not supposed to say and pushed me down. He got my pants dirty and I was just trying to help!"

Burt fought down the anger. He knew what the bad word was, but he tried to give the other eight year old the benefit of the doubt. He knew Beks a little and knew that she wouldn't let it pass. Maybe with the bastard Eli away she would be able to teach her little boy better. He kissed his own son's hair, "Well, baby, Noah's still hurting. Sometimes when we're hurting we do things we don't mean. I bet he was just like you and me this afternoon, only instead of yelling he called you a name and pushed you down. Just maybe…give him a little bit of time, okay, Kurt?"

"Okay, Daddy," Kurt snuggled again. Burt was not looking forward to the day when Kurt no longer trusted him so implicitly and did as he said without question.

"You know how much I love you, don't you, Kurt?" Burt whispered after a while when he was sure Kurt was asleep.

"I know, Daddy. I love you, too."

Okay, so maybe not quite asleep.

"Good, son. As long as you know that."

"Daddy…sing, please? The song Mommy liked to sing to me."

Burt felt the tears slick his throat, but swallowed them down, "Sure, baby. Close your eyes."

"Okay."

_And like a boat on the ocean I'm rocking you to sleep_

_The water's dark and deep inside this ancient heart_

_You'll always be a part of me_

_Goodnight, my angel, now it's time to dream_

_And dream how wonderful your life will be_

_Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby_

_Then in your heart there will always be a part of me_

_Someday we'll all be gone, but lullabies go on and on_

_They never die_

_That's how you and I will be _


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** I'll Be There (3/6)  
**Author:** telepathichawk  
**Rating:** K+, PG  
**Character(s)/Pairing(s):** Burt, Kurt. Puck/Kurt in later chapters. Burt/Carole, Finn/Rachel  
**Genre:** General/Family  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** Anything up to the end of season one is fair game, though I'm not sure there's anything really.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee. I make no profit from this.  
**Author Notes:** This small series was inspired by six songs. They are as follows: "I'll Be There" as performed by The Jackson Five, "Lullaby" as performed by Billy Joel, "Breeze Off the River" from the musical The Full Monty, "When You Come Back Down" as performed by Nicklecreek, "Child of Mine" as performed by Carol King, and "All You Need is Love" as performed by The Beatles.

Little bit different from the others. More Burt introspection. More interaction in the next chapter.

Please comment if you have a moment! Thanks so much! Happy reading!  
**Summary:** A fluffy interconnected series of one shots mostly about the relationship between Burt and Kurt Hummel.  
**Word Count:** ~3,000

Burt wasn't sure what woke him from the light, drug aided sleep that he had drifted in and out of for three days but somehow he knew instinctually that he should stay quiet as his eyes fluttered open. The lights were off. That was new. Must be the middle of the night. Every other time he'd woken up in the past couple of days it had been in the daytime or early evening and his eyes had been burned a little bit by the bright, florescent lights. He could hear the heart monitor next to him and was reassured by the steady, strong beat. He was still here. He nearly smiled slightly, then sighed when he turned his head slowly and saw that Kurt was still in the chair next to his bed, holding onto his hand like a lifeline, illuminated softly by the light from the hallway. He took a moment to observe his baby boy. Kurt was dressed conservatively for him in a pair of dark wash jeans and…was that a hoodie? Where the hell had his son gotten a hoodie? It had to be Friday night. Because Kurt had been sleeping in what he planned to wear to school the next day (All outfits that were made of materials that wouldn't wrinkle. Burt, didn't understand how, but, okay, whatever Kurt said.), taking his showers in the little bathroom off of his room and going straight to school and the son he knew would never, ever be caught dead in true public in a hoodie. Burt let his eyes drift to Kurt's face and sighed again. The dark bruise colored circles were still obvious under Kurt's eyes because his face was still ridiculously pale and he looked as if he hadn't done his hair at all.

Burt felt his chest begin to ache. If it were physical in any way he would have pressed the little button under his finger that called for a nurse and woken Kurt up, but there was nothing physical about it. Tears filled his eyes and began to slick his throat. He had nearly left his son an orphan. He admitted that he wasn't the smartest man in the world and he screwed up. A lot. But, this…this was the biggest screw up he had ever had the unfortunate pleasure to call his. He was a stubborn, pig-headed man. He fully admitted that. And a couple of years ago when Kurt had started in on all of the healthy eating, exercising more, the medical history of his family practically screamed heart attack stuff he had shut Kurt out and shut down a little. He'd kept eating whatever he wanted and hadn't started jogging like he promised Kurt he would. He'd ignored the doctor when he brought up cholesterol and blood pressure and even ignored the looks Carlos and Jean gave him when Jean brought Carlos a salad and Burt was digging into his burger and fries. And because he'd decided that he didn't need Kurt babying him he'd had a heart attack, had been in a coma for a week and a half, and nearly left the light of his life, his baby boy, an orphan.

While he was in the coma, drifting in a fog that seemed like it would never lift, he'd only heard some of what was said to him. Sometimes he'd heard Carole, begging him not to let this happen to her again, telling him that she loved him and she wanted him, needed him to wake up. She'd told him that Kurt loved him so much and needed him more than any of the rest of them, that if he was only going to fight for one person it had better be his kid. He'd heard Finn and Mercedes, Finn's girlfriend Rachel and the sweet girl who had just had the baby, Quinn, praying over him. And he'd heard them talking over him, talking about how worried they were about Kurt, how much he needed him. From what they said, none of them had been able to reach Kurt and they were all scared that if Burt were gone Kurt would freeze them all out permanently and they would never be able to reach him again. And he'd heard Kurt. He'd heard Kurt most of all, singing to him, talking to him, pleading with him to come back. Kurt had been drifting from him, too, whether he knew it or not, letting his anger at the situation close him off. But, his friends had brought him back from the freeze out, sweet Mercedes had brought him back to Burt. And when Kurt had said that he believed in them and only them…it had given him the strength to come back.

Just seeing Kurt so raw, as he collapsed to his knees, pressing Burt's hand to his forehead as he sobbed after Burt simply called out his name, had broken Burt's heart. Even though there had been doctors hovering and nurses running around the only thing he'd been able to see was Kurt.

"I was so afraid…" He'd sobbed, "The doctor said that he wasn't sure you would still be you even if you woke up! He said he wasn't sure that you would wake up! He said that the oxygen to your brain…and…I was so scared, Daddy. I missed you so much!"

"I'm right here, Kurtie…" Kurt had used Daddy, all nicknames were fair game, "I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you so much, Dad."

"I love you, too, Kurt."

He'd spent the last three days drifting in and out of sleep and getting yelled at by his son, his girlfriend, his girlfriend's son, his son's best friends, and his girlfriend's son's girlfriend for how much he had scared them. Kurt's glee teacher and a pretty, doe-eyed red head who identified herself as the school counselor told him the truth behind Kurt's shut down and revealed everything that he had been fearing. The counselor, Emma, scolded him and told him he had to take better care of himself, if just for Kurt's sake, because she was afraid that if something happened to him Kurt wouldn't survive it. He'd never felt more chastised, like he was a thirteen again and his mother had just caught him with his hand up Mary Rose's skirt. By the end of it, even if he hadn't already resolved it in his own mind, he was ready to promise them to eat nothing but greens and run three miles a day. Now, looking at his boy, he was only more resolved. He had to take better care of himself. For himself, of course, and Carole and Finn. But, mostly, for Kurt. Because, if he wasn't there to take care of his boy, who would be? He wanted to wake Kurt up and get him to go home and sleep in a real bed, but something told him to wait a minute.

He knew why, and closed his eyes lightly, when a soft voice called from the doorway, "Kurt? Come on, dude, you gotta go home and get some real sleep."

Burt had to fight the urge to smile at the indelicate snort that came from his son as he woke up from his doze, "Hmm? What?"

"Real sleep in a real bed, Hummel. You need it. Come on, dude."

Burt risked opening his eyes in the slightest and had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. There was some shaved head, letterman jacket wearing teenaged boy in his room. He moved almost silently as he crouched in front of Kurt, who was still coming awake.

"I'm fine here," He pulled his hand away from Burt's and used both to wipe his eyes. He looked so young that Burt felt tears come into his eyes again.

"Dude, your dad's awake. He's going to be okay. You need to sleep. And since you haven't been listening to Mrs. H or Aretha or Finn or Mr. Schue or any-damn-one, they called me in. Come on. Let me drive you home."

"I appreciate it, Noah, but…"

So, this was Noah Puckerman. Burt had never met him, which was surprising, because he and Finn were pretty good friends by all accounts. They'd been on the rocks briefly because of pretty Quinn's pregnancy, but they'd been connecting recently. Kurt had spoken about Noah Puckerman often after the first time he mentioned him when he was eight. From about ages thirteen to fifteen all he heard were a bunch of big words he assumed were insults because of the anger in Kurt's voice and on his face when he said them. It was usually something about dumpsters and slushies and his clothes. But, lately something had changed. Burt thought it might be because they were in glee together. He'd seen Puckerman perform. The kid was good and, despite the fact that he looked like a punk, by all accounts he was turning out to be a good kid. From what Kurt had said, he'd done right by Quinn. And he seemed to be mending fences with Finn. And he was trying to mend fences with Kurt. Kurt always got this look on his face when he said that it was Noah who was keeping him out of the dumpsters. Burt thought that it was probably the fact that his dry cleaning bill was halved that made him so soft when it came to Puckerman.

"Hummel."

Burt could tell that Kurt was as surprised by the gentle, stern tone of voice as he was. And a slight breeze probably could have toppled Kurt over when the Puckerman kid cupped his face in a large hand.

"Seriously. You look worse than your dad. Get your ass up and let me drive you home. You can sleep for a few hours and be back tomorrow morning before he even knows you were gone."

"I…" Kurt looked like he was going to protest only for a moment more before he seemed to deflate a little and curl in on himself, "Okay…"

"Good. Let's get going. Where the hell did you get my sweatshirt anyway?"

"This is yours?" Kurt asked, pulling the sweatshirt away from his body with two fingers and looking at it with disgust, "I thought it was something Finn left behind at my house one Friday night. Ugh. Good thing I washed it before I wore it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stop yapping, Hummel. Keep the damn thing for all I care. Looks better on you anyway."

"Why, Noah, if you're…" Kurt stood and immediately set a hand to his forehead as the blood drained from his face and left him startlingly pale. He began to fall backwards and Burt had to stop himself from sitting up and grabbing for him. Puckerman beat him to it anyway. He grabbed Kurt's elbows and held him to his, Burt grimaced inwardly, admittedly strong chest and hugged him close.

"Fuck! You okay?" He asked, then pulled back to cup Kurt's still pale face in both his hands. Kurt held onto his wrists, "When was the last time you actually ate?"

"Breakfast…" Kurt said. Burt couldn't see the look on Puckerman's face, but he could imagine it when Kurt flushed and looked away, "Yesterday. Breakfast yesterday."

"Come on. Food. Real food, not rabbit food, then sleep."

"Okay. But, you'll bring me back tomorrow morning before he wakes up, right?"

"God damn, Hummel!" Puckerman let go of his face and ruffled Kurt's already mussed hair, "I swear, okay? Just get your shit together and let's go!"

"Puckerman, be quiet!" Kurt hissed as he leaned down and picked up his bag, then came back up and slapped the bigger boy across the back of his head.

Oh. Oh shit. Burt couldn't help the choked noise that came from the back of his throat. The last name. The use of the last name. In a lot of ways Kurt was just like his mother and if his tone of voice and the way he was able to casually touch Puckerman were an indication at all…he was in deep like, maybe even love, with the other boy. Burt wondered if he even knew. He closed his eyes just in time for Kurt to spin around, smooth his sheets and lean over to kiss his forehead. He suddenly felt so tired. He wondered, idly, if it was because of what he had just discovered about his son or if it was the fact that he'd just had a heart attack a few days ago and was still in the hospital all drugged up and crazy. Maybe it was both.

"I love you, Dad," Kurt whispered, "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Burt sighed, but Kurt just kissed his forehead again and straightened. He was too tired to open his eyes again, but he heard Kurt and Puckerman all too clearly as they walked out of the hospital room.

"Puckerman, you do realize that your arm is around my waist?"

"Yeah, Hummel. Problem?"

"I…No. No problem at all. Thank you for coming to get me."

"No problem, Princess."

"Call me princess again and I'll castrate you."

Burt grinned and allowed himself to relax. Maybe he didn't have to worry so much. Kurt was strong and confident. He could take care of himself. And when he couldn't Burt was going to see to it that he was there to do it, for a very long time. In a big way it was a comfort to know that even if there came a time when he couldn't take care of Kurt when he needed it there would always be Kurt's friends. Mercedes and Quinn were great with the girly stuff that Kurt sometimes needed and Burt just didn't get. Carole and Finn were there to be family even when Kurt thought he didn't need it. Rachel was…well she was Rachel and she and Kurt brought out the best and worst in each other, alternately each other's biggest fans and worst enemies. It was good for Kurt to have someone like that in his life. And of course all of the others in the glee club and their coach and even the twitchy counselor would all always look out for Kurt. And, god help them all, baring all of them, Puckerman would be there. He remembered the flash of emotion across Kurt's face when the kid had cupped his cheek and saw the panic in Puckerman's eyes when Kurt had nearly collapsed and wondered just when Puckerman would be moved to the front of the list. He wondered when he might be able to get Kurt to admit just how he felt about the boy and just how long it would take the other boy to do the same.

And what would happen if he never did? His doubts and insecurities reared their ugly heads again. Could Burt possibly be enough to put Kurt back together again after heartbreak? Would he even know what to do if Kurt came to him with a broken heart?

"Don't be an idiot, Hummel," he could almost hear Connie whisper in his ear, "Of course you'll know what to do if it happens. You'll do exactly what you've always done. You'll love him and tell him the truth. He has a bright future far away from Lima, Ohio, filled with excitement and laughter, a little bit of heartbreak and love. You'll be his dad, Hummel. It's what you're best at."

"We've got the best kid in the world, Connie," He whispered, rolling onto his side and making himself more comfortable.

"Bet your ass we do. And if you ever do something as stupid as almost leave him again…so help me, Burtram Hummel."

"Yeah, I know, Connie. I know."

The next morning Burt woke late to the smell of fresh coffee and turned to the chair Kurt had occupied for days to find it occupied by not one, but two bodies. Kurt was curled up in Puckerman's lap like a cat, his head resting on the bigger boy's sturdy shoulder, the fingers of one of their hands linked, sleeping. Burt wondered how long Puckerman had actually talked him into sleeping at home and just how long they'd been back at the hospital. Puckerman, to his credit, was just watching Kurt sleep, an expression caught between wonder and terror on his face. Burt knew that look. It was the same look he'd had the first time Connie agreed to a date with him. When he noticed that Burt was awake, his eyes went to him. For a moment, they held defiance laced with fear, then a little bit of embarrassment at being caught and finally they settled on something between begging and telling.

"I won't be in this bed forever, Puckerman," Burt tried for his growl and hoped he wasn't completely ineffective when it came out as little more than a whisper, "And I own a shotgun. If you ever hurt my boy…" He let the threat trail.

"I know, Mr. H," Puckerman lifted his chin. Burt liked his attitude.

Burt was surprised when Noah gently untangled his fingers from Kurt's then, placed Kurt's hand in Burt's. Their fingers, father's and son's, curled around each other automatically as they had so many times before.

"Love you, Dad," Kurt sighed in his sleep. Puckerman closed his eyes and looked, for all intents, like he was going to settle in for a nap. Burt sighed deeply, content for the moment, and closed his eyes again. A nap sounded pretty good.

_Everybody knows the secret_

_Well, I don't, and I never did_

_I don't know any secret_

_All I know is I love you, kid_

_All I know is I love you, kid_

_All I know…_


	4. Chapter 4

**All Previous Disclaimers Apply.**

**Author's Note: Not really happy with this chapter, but I tried to start it a dozen different ways and this was the only way it would finish. It gets pretty OOC. Please forgive this fact. I included the lyrics to the entire song this time because I thought they were all important. Please let me know what you think if you have a moment! Thanks and happy reading! T.H.**

"Kurt, are you sure you're going to be okay here? I can stay a couple more days if you want…" Burt tried not to show just how affected he was by the thought of leaving his son (his baby) in a dorm where there were plenty of other young, some most likely gay, men in a city where Burt wouldn't be able to be there to threaten those same young men away from his son (his baby boy!) with the shotgun he didn't actually own but would be more than willing to buy if it meant that those little creeps would stay the hell away from his kid. He didn't worry about Kurt. Not at all. Kurt was the most sure and confident kid he had ever seen in his life. If anyone even looked at Kurt in a way he found offensive they'd be torn to shreds in an instant by Kurt's sharp tongue. He knew he shouldn't be proud if it, but it kind of made him smile to think that his son could make just about anyone feel about three inches tall in three words or less. Burt had seen grown men reduced to blubbering by Kurt's words. Hell, he'd let his son loose on more than one man just to watch them stammer and shrink under Kurt's intense, focused, heated gaze. So, he was a little sadistic. Sue him. It just made him feel better to know that Kurt had something for his defense other than what little physical self defense Puckerman had been able to force on him. No, it wasn't Kurt that Burt worried about. It was every other little creep far away from his parents and looking to get laid as often as possible with young, innocent, beautiful young men like his son that he didn't trust. Burt sighed and pulled his cap off so that he could run a hand over his smooth head. It was a nervous habit and he knew it was a clear tell about his mental state when Kurt turned from where he was hanging or draping or something and his eyes went all soft and shiny.

"Dad…" Kurt leaned against the desk set at the fairly large window and crossed his arms low across his chest, hugging his elbows, a tell for him, letting Burt know that he was having a hard time as well, "I promise you…I'm going to be fine."

"I know, I know," Burt sighed again, "Maybe the one I'm worried about not being fine with all of this is…me. I mean, Jesus, kid. There hasn't been a single fucking day of your life that I couldn't just reach out and hug you if I wanted."

"And you say I'm dramatic," Kurt chuckled, "Dad, it's college in New York. It's not like I'm moving to Bali to study Gamelan or Paris to be a nude model or anything. I'm only nine hours away. I'll be home for Thanksgiving no matter what and probably before then, too. You can call me anytime you want. I can't promise I'll always pick up, but I promise that I'll always get back to you within the hour whether it's a call or text. Does that sound like a deal?"

"Who's supposed to be the adult here, Kurt?" Burt raised an eyebrow, then smiled when the Cheshire Cat grin Kurt was so good at spread across his face and he simply shrugged. Burt felt the tears slick his throat and couldn't help the low mumble that escaped, "Aw hell…come here, kid." He opened his arms and Kurt moved into the embrace a little too quickly, his eyes just a little too bright. Burt hugged him as tightly as he could, not ashamed at all when he realized that Kurt was hugging back just as hard.

"We're both gonna be fine, kid." He whispered, "You're gonna do great in your classes and you're gonna love it here."

"And you're going to enjoy your newfound freedom," Kurt mumbled against his neck, "You're going to make love with Carole…with…with Mom…" Burt smiled into Kurt's hair. It had taken them nearly a year and a half, but Kurt had finally decided that he was comfortable loving more than one mother figure in his life. He called Carole Mom and Finn called him Dad. They were a family. It took Burt a moment to come back and realize Kurt was still talking.

"…in every room in the house. Just don't tell me if you do it in mine. You're going to sneak unhealthy snacks around her and laugh a lot and have naked dinners if you want…"

"Why does almost everything I'm going to do revolve around sex?" Burt leaned back a little, looked down at Kurt, and laughed. It was either laugh or blush like he was thirteen again and his own father was giving him the sex talk. He chose to laugh. Kurt laughed with him a little, then got quiet again.

"Kurt?" Burt asked gently.

"You've both been too busy raising me and Finn to really enjoy yourselves for years. Now you're dropping me off here and Mom's dropping off Finn in California and for the first time in eighteen years you can both just be yourselves without having to worry about us in the house. You're both so strong and good and I love you so much and…I really want you two to enjoy yourselves. I want you to be happy."

"Damn, Kurt…" Burt pressed a hard kiss to Kurt's forehead, "You…you're so much like your mother."

Kurt smiled at him cheekily, "Which one?"

"Both of them." Burt grinned back, "You don't have to worry about me, Kurt. I just want you to concentrate on yourself for now. That's what college is for. I want you to have the time of your life. And I am going to be happy, kid. Hell, I'm gonna have myself a grand time, too. I'm going to worry about you every day, but that's my job, so don't try to tell me not to. Now, why don't you walk me back to my car?" Kurt pulled away, straightened his shirt and checked his hair with his fingers, then nodded.

But, they didn't make it to the car. They got outside into the early autumn light where the leaves were just beginning to turn colors and Burt was about to say another prayer of thanks to whoever was up there listening that Kurt had ended up choosing a college in upstate New York instead of New York City where Burt would have worried about him all the time instead of just forty minutes out of every hour when Kurt made a little, disbelieving sound from the back of his throat and took off like a shot.

"Kurt, what the hell?" Burt called, then followed where his son's eyes had been. He sighed, not sure if he was relieved or upset, when he saw the bike that he himself had helped rebuild if only so that it meant that Kurt would be somewhat safe on the back of it. It still gave him a little bit of another heart attack to think of Kurt riding on it, but at least he knew that it wouldn't fall apart under him. And it had survived the nine hour ride. That had to say something. Hell, it looked better than the rider leaning against it, his arms crossed and his hooded eyes tired and underlined with bruised colored flesh. Burt watched those eyes, darting back and forth looking for something, someone, brighten into something that was almost happiness when Kurt cried out his name. The tall, strongly muscled form straightened up and opened his arms to accept the smaller man into them.

Burt followed Kurt at a sedate pace, knowing that his kid needed a couple of moments with his boyfriend. He got the same feeling in his chest he always got every time he thought of Noah Puckerman as his son's boyfriend and rubbed his chest just above his heart. In the nearly two years that he had been with Noah Kurt had been happier than Burt had ever seen him. Yes, Noah was a bad influence. He had convinced Kurt to skip more school in his senior year than he'd skipped in the other three combined. Kurt began to stay out later than Burt was comfortable with the day the doctors had declared him fit again. (Kurt always called or texted to let Burt know he was safe, but that wasn't the point!) Yes, the kid had a bad attitude and had no idea what respect was. His default setting had to be sneer and insult and he had done it to Burt more times than he could count. And yes, the fact that Burt knew, like all guys knew, that Puckerman would be attractive to any young gay man didn't help him like the kid anymore either.

But, Burt was loathe to admit it and had no choice but to, he had watched as Noah slowly began trying to change himself while he and Kurt dated. Burt had looked on, amazed, as he began to open doors for Kurt and Carole. The sneer sometimes gave way to a small, but true, smile. With Kurt's help, he'd stopped failing every single class he had so that he actually had a fairly decent GPA by the end of high school and he managed to hold down a steady job that wasn't whoring himself out to desperate housewives. Granted, that was because Kurt had begged and Burt was a more forgiving boss than anyone else would be given the lip and attitude Puckerman gave him, but he was a hard worker and always willing to learn. And, surprisingly, Burt liked having him around. He had a sharp sense of humor when he chose to exercise it and a decent mind, again, when he chose to exercise it.

Burt had worried about how faithful Puckerman would be able to be to his kid, the first boy he had ever had anything other than a platonic relationship with. He wasn't stupid. He knew Puckerman's reputation. The kid slept around with married women twice his age, had gotten Finn's girlfriend pregnant, and valued his badass reputation almost above everything. Burt hadn't been able to trust him, hadn't been able to let himself get to know…Noah…to like him, until Kurt had sat him down one night when neither of them could sleep and set him straight.

"Dad, I know you're just trying to protect me, but, please, you have to stop being so hostile to Noah."

"Kurt, that kid…he…cougars, Kurt, and juvie…and the baby…"

"Dad," Kurt's voice had been hard, "Don't you ever hold Beth against Puck. He made a mistake and he pays for it every day. He thinks about her all the time. He knows that being with her new family is the better thing for her, but you have no idea how much it hurts him not to be able to see her, to hold her, and watch her grow. He's not stupid, Dad, and neither am I. We do actually talk. He went looking for affection everywhere but the right places and when it never made him feel any better he reacted with violence. His dad wasn't like you. He hit him when he cried or when he picked up one of his sister's dolls, so he learned to hide it. That night in the hospital…it was the first time he stopped hiding and it terrified him. He got himself sent to juvie so he didn't have to think about it, so he didn't have to be ashamed by it. And in the end he decided that he just didn't care. Despite everything he's been through in his life, Dad, he chose me. He wants to be with me. And if you can't try to like him for him please try to do it for me. He's an absolute mess, Dad. But, he's my mess and he doesn't mind that I'm a little bit of a mess myself. He…he makes me happy, Dad. Isn't that all you really need to know? "

And it had been. After all, all he wanted for Kurt in his life was that he was safe and happy. Noah Puckerman made his kid happy, Kurt had said he did. And as for keeping him safe…well, he didn't think that Puckerman was the type to let anyone touch what he considered his. From the moment he got out of juvie, the things he considered his included Kurt. Despite his past Noah had remained faithful as far as Burt knew. And he made Kurt smile. He made Kurt laugh with his head thrown back and no thought for what anyone might say. Just a kind word or a certain look from Noah Puckerman could make Kurt sing and dance around the kitchen in jeans and bare feet. When Puckerman had picked Kurt up for the senior prom and handed him a half crushed flower, unable to meet Kurt's eye, the sweet smile on Kurt's face and the blush that had spread across his cheeks were unlike anything Burt had ever seen from his son. While Burt couldn't approve of Kurt skipping school, he had to admit that Puckerman had actually convinced his son to do something that no one else had ever been able to do. He had convinced Kurt to be a kid for once, something Kurt hadn't really been since his mom died. Puck helped Kurt loosen up and live a little. He helped Kurt realize that there was more to life than his ambitions and in return Kurt had helped him realize that it was okay to have ambitions. Burt had seen it as Puckerman started to realize, with Kurt's gentle coaching, that he was not doomed to a dead end life in Lima if it wasn't what he wanted. Kurt was still working to convince him that he could be whatever he wanted to be.

And because he was beginning to believe things for himself, Puckerman was helping his little sister, Miriam, to believe things for herself, too. Puckerman had started bringing Miri into work when Beks pulled doubles at the hospital because there was no money for a sitter and no other choice. At first all the pretty little mouse had done was sit in Burt's office behind his big desk doing her homework. Slowly but surely he and the other guys in the shop had been able to coax her out of her shell until she began to hang out on the bench outside of the office once her homework was done to talk and laugh with them. After about six months she had begun to open up to all of them. Under the gentle attentions of Burt and the other mechanics, the first men she had ever known who Noah trusted enough to bring her around, she absolutely blossomed. Now she came in everyday after school even when Noah wasn't working. It was nice to have a little girl around and Miri was sweet as hell. She sang in a clear, strong voice to the classic rock station, made the rest of the guys laugh, and was starting to get interested in engines just like her brother. Kurt and Carole and, to a lesser extent, Finn loved to fuss over her. Kurt swooped in at least once a week to take her shopping or to a movie. Carole was constantly trying to push baked goods on her. And Finn was the one who was there with board games or other silliness when she started to get bored. (He wasn't allowed near the cars without adult supervision either.)

If he was being honest with himself, and he generally was, he liked to fuss over her, too. It felt…nice to have a little girl who liked to lean over a car engine the way Kurt used to do. It felt nice when she fell asleep on his shoulder, too. He'd always wondered what it would have been like if he and Connie had had more time together and had been able to give Kurt a little sister. He was glad Kurt could at least have a little bit of the experience with Miri. Of course, he knew Miri wasn't his daughter. Beks coming to pick her up every day and the way her bright eyes lit up when she saw her mom reminded him of that. But, still it was probably the closest to a little girl he was ever going to get and he felt privileged that Beks was generous enough to share her. It was funny, but she thought that he was doing her the favor.

But, it was Puck who surprised them all. There were only two people his voice softened for and one of them was Miri. It wasn't uncommon to see their dark heads bent together in concentration over some of her homework or to see her laughing and crying at the same time as he tackled her to the floor of the office and proceeded to tickle her into submission. Everyone pretended they didn't see it when it happened, just like they pretended that they didn't see when Noah dropped gentle kisses to Miri's hair or danced around the shop with her in his arms when the song "Brown Eyed Girl" came on. One the Saturdays that both Puckerman kids spent all day at the shop it was Noah who insister that Miri eat some of the salad along with her pizza even if it didn't taste as good. If Burt had known nothing else about Noah Puckerman, and even if he hadn't been Kurt's boyfriend, knowing how much care and love he had for his younger sister would have been enough to make Burt to hire him and try to help him out as much as possible.

The fact that he loved Kurt and made him happy…well, that was just icing on the cake. He decided he was relieved to see Puckerman there. His kid and the Mohawk were good for each other and there had been so much angst over the summer with Kurt going away to school and Puckerman staying behind in the fall that he'd felt like he was in a soap opera. The last thing he had heard, they weren't going to try the long distance thing. And that had been killing them both. Kurt had moped around the house and Puckerman had moped around the shop until he was ready to slam their heads together and lock them in Kurt's basement with three days worth of food and water so that they would have to work things out. It was good to see that Puckerman had taken the initiative to knock some sense into both of them.

"Noah, Noah, Noah," Kurt was murmuring again and again as Burt approached. The two young men were hugging each other close, Puckerman had his face buried in Kurt's neck and Kurt was running one hand over the Mohawk that gave Burt so much grief and discomfort. Both of the boys were shaking and it hit Burt again as it had in the hospital so long ago. They were in love. The same type of love that he had shared with Connie. The same type of love he had grown into with Carole. A forever kind of love. They might not be together for the rest of their lives. Their personalities might be too strong for them to stay together or they might be separated by time and distance or even death. God, he hoped not death. But, no matter what happened to them in the future they would always love each other.

"I thought you couldn't get the time off. I thought you didn't want to try."

Burt knew they were two very, very different points. Puckerman lifted his head, but kept Kurt firmly enclosed in his arms while he pressed a hard kiss to his temple.

"The boss'll give me some leeway," He murmured, smiling over Kurt's shoulder at Burt, then his eyes closed tightly as if no one could see him saying what he was about to say as long as he couldn't see them, "And I'm a badass, Kurt, not a dumbass. There's no way we're not going to make this work." He kissed Kurt's temple again and whispered something in his ear that had Kurt blushing slightly and laying his head against Puckerman's chest.

"I love you, too," He whispered, then pulled back, wrinkling his nose, "But, you smell. Honestly, Noah, nine hours on the motorcycle?"

Puckerman threw his head back and laughed. Suddenly, leaving Kurt in New York wasn't as hard as it had been just minutes before. There was something about the way his boy came to life around the kid he loved that made him feel like maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be fine.

The sure and content feeling lasted all of two weeks. He and Carole had enjoyed their first two weeks alone and the loneliness of being without their children was just starting to set in, but they were finding ways to keep busy. They spoke to both Finn and Kurt at least every other day and hearing how much their boys liked college life was a little bit of a balm for them as well. It was late on a Friday when he and Carole were on the couch –he refused to call it cuddling- watching a chick flick –he refused to admit that he like it- that the doorbell rang. He tore open the door to find Puckerman standing in front of him, his hands shoved in his jean pockets and his Mohawk missing. The look in his eyes made Burt step outside, cross his arms and say:

"What'd you do, kid?"

"Look, Mr. Hummel," the kid ran a hand over his newly shaved head, "Kurt's always telling me that I can be what I want and I want to believe him. But, I messed up so much in high school…no college is gonna take me like this and Kurt deserves someone…more…more than me and what I can be if I just stay here. He'd come back here after school and trap himself in this town that he hates. For me. And that kills me. It's like a knife in my chest. So, I'm doing what I have to do to…I'm not going to let him be a Lima loser for me."

"Puckerman…what the hell did you do?" Burt repeated, taking a step closer. Puckerman was trying not to show it, but he was shaking.

"I enlisted…"

Burt closed his eyes against the sudden pain that flashed unexpectedly in his chest.

"If I...They'll pay for college if I just…Would you…I…Miri…"

"Christ, Noah," Burt pulled the kid into a hard hug that he knew he wasn't expecting by how stiff he was in the embrace for nearly thirty seconds. Then, he relaxed and let Burt hug him, going so far as to wrap his own arms around him, "You know I'm going to take care of Miri. Have you told Kurt yet?"

"He had a rehearsal today. I…I left a message on his phone. I know him, Mr. Hummel. As soon as he gets it…"

"He'll drive home," Burt agreed, "You're leaving now, aren't you?"

"I'm a fucking coward, but I can't…If I see him I won't go. I, uh, I wrote him this." Noah pulled back and grabbed a letter out of his back pocket, "Could you give it to him for me?"

"Sure, kid." Burt took the envelope and tucked it in his own back pocket.

"Thanks." Noah turned to walk back down the stairs.

"Puckerman!" Burt called, unable to keep quiet. The kid's eyes were bright when he turned around, "Here." He moved down the stairs and pulled the medallion from around his neck. He looked at it for a moment, running his thumb over the familiar figure, before he put it around the kid's neck.

"What is it?" Noah asked, confused.

"It know you're not catholic, but…It's St. Jude. Patron saint of lost causes. Connie, Kurt's mother, gave it to me the day we got married. Her folks were rich and they hated my guts. We were a lost cause, too. Think about that. Just keep it on you, okay? And you keep yourself safe. We'll take care of Kurt. I don't envy you the freeze he's going to treat you to when you get to call him, but…" Burt shrugged. Noah looked down at his feet.

"He can go ice like no one else I know," He laughed, then he looked back up, "Thanks, Mr. H. For Miri and for the medallion. I…I'll keep it on."

"Good. And Noah?"

"Yeah? I mean…yes?"

"You call me Burt or you call me Dad. Got it?"

The shock and cautious pleasure on Noah's face let Burt know he'd said the right thing. He held out his hand and they shook somberly.

"Yeah. Thanks…Burt. I'll call you guys when I get where I'm going."

"You do that, kid."

Burt watched, tears in his eyes and one that he wouldn't admit to running down his cheek as Noah rode away on his motorcycle, his hand raised in farewell just before he disappeared over the hill. He rubbed his chest softly against the pain in his heart. It was the same, he realized. He had only felt it twice before in his life, but it was the same. He had just said goodbye to another son. He turned back to walk back to the house, looking up at the sky and saying a prayer to a god he wasn't sure he believed was there to keep Noah safe and keep the rest of them sane until he could come home to them all again.

_You got to leave me now, you got to go alone  
You got to chase a dream, one that's all your own  
Before it slips away  
When you're flyin' high, take my heart along  
I'll be the harmony to every lonely song  
That you learn to play_

When you're soarin' through the air  
I'll be your solid ground  
Take every chance you dare  
I'll still be there  
When you come back down  
When you come back down

I'll keep lookin' up, awaitin' your return  
My greatest fear will be that you will crash and burn  
And I won't feel your fire  
I'll be the other hand that always holds the line  
Connectin' in between your sweet heart and mine  
I'm strung out on that wire

And I'll be on the other end, To hear you when you call  
Angel, you were born to fly, If you get too high  
I'll catch you when you fall  
I'll catch you when you fall

Your memory's the sunshine every new day brings  
I know the sky is calling  
Angel, let me help you with your wings

When you're soarin' through the air  
I'll be your solid ground  
Take every chance you dare

I'll still be there  
When you come back down  
Take every chance you dare,  
I'll still be there  
When you come back down  
When you come back down


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** I'll Be There (5/6)  
**Author:** telepathichawk  
**Rating:** K+, PG  
**Character(s)/Pairing(s):** Burt, Kurt. Puck/Kurt in later chapters. Burt/Carole, Finn/Rachel  
**Genre:** General/Family  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Spoilers:** Anything up to the end of season one is fair game, though I'm not sure there's anything really.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Glee. I make no profit from this.  
**Author Notes:** This small series was inspired by six songs. They are as follows: "I'll Be There" as performed by The Jackson Five, "Lullaby" as performed by Billy Joel, "Breeze Off the River" from the musical The Full Monty, "When You Come Back Down" as performed by Nicklecreek, "Child of Mine" as performed by Carol King, and "All You Need is Love" as performed by The Beatles.

OOCness abounds. Please forgive me! But, I really liked the idea of this chapter. I hope you do, too. Last one should be up in about a week or so. Please comment if you have a moment! Thanks so much! Happy reading!

**Summary: **A fluffy interconnected series of one shots mostly about the relationship between Burt and Kurt Hummel.

**Word Count: **~4,200

* * *

"I'm here! I'm here! I'm here! I haven't missed it, have I?" Kurt rushed into the room with the same urgency with which he had come into the world. Burt smiled, feeling more sentimental than he had anticipated.

He could remember it so well. He and Connie had been so nervous about Kurt's imminent birth but, the doctor had assured them that because Kurt was Connie's first and because the pregnancy had been textbook normal and perfect that she would probably be at least ten hours, if not more, with him. They had trusted that and, of course, Kurt had gone against every expectation that any of them had. Connie had woken him in the middle of the night with a slap when she couldn't get him to wake by calling his name. Her water broke while they were in the car and it was barely an hour before their little boy had made his appearance. It had been four-fifty in the morning and Connie had been fast asleep, her small hand curled around the edge of the plastic basinet next to her bed when Burt had finally worked up the courage to hold his hours old son. He had curt the cord, of course, and supported Connie's arms as she smiled down at their baby, but Kurt was just so tiny and Burt felt so big and clumsy just looking at him that he hadn't been able to bring himself to hold Kurt until Connie was fast asleep and there was no one there to see if he made a mistake. He'd almost talked himself out of reaching into the bassinet for Kurt twelve times before he finally braced himself and took his boy in his arms. Kurt had melted his heart and his knees had gone weak with the love that overwhelmed him when his infant son curled into his arm and turned his tiny little face into Burt's chest trustingly.

"Hey, kid," He'd whispered, nuzzling Kurt's little cheek, "Hey, Kurt. I'm your dad. Me and your mom…we've been waiting for you. I'm gonna teach you so much. How to throw a ball…how to talk to girls…whatever you want…I…I love you, kid. So much. And there is nothing that is ever going to hurt you. Not so long as I'm here."

"You're a great dad, Hummel…" Connie had murmured and Burt had turned around, his face heating.

"We got a great kid, Connie," He'd sat down next to her and smiled when she kissed the downy little head nestled against him.

"The best," Connie had agreed.

"Bet your ass," Burt had grinned.

He couldn't help grinning, remembering, as Kurt rushed into the room. It all felt so much the same, holding his wife's hand (She was cutting off his circulation) while she cursed at him and her doctors, the soothing room in the muted colors meant to keep laboring women as calm as possible (That was a frickin' joke.), and listening to the quiet strains of music that were also meant to keep Carole calm and to give her something to breathe along with. He personally couldn't stand Yo-Yo Ma or Itzahk Perlman, too little going on for his tastes, but Carole loved both of them and every single song that Kurt had put on the list he had made specifically for her labor so he wasn't going to say a single thing. Not if he ever wanted his hand back and not if he didn't want the glare of death from the three women in the room as well as his admittedly effeminate son.

"No, you haven't missed anything…" Burt said, smiling at his flustered son.

"Kurt!" Carole called at the same time, "Oh, baby, you're here!"

"Mom!" Kurt called with the same urgency, rushing to Carole and pushing sweaty hair off of her brow before leaning down to kiss her forehead, warm with exertion.

"I was afraid you wouldn't make it," Carole had tears in her eyes and Burt was afraid she was going to start crying again. He much preferred her anger and yelling to her sobbing. He couldn't handle her tears any better than he'd been able to handle Connie's or any better than he was able to handle Miri's or Rachel's or even Bek's tears now.

"Of course I made it," Kurt cooed at her and Burt marveled at the difference between Carole's reaction to Kurt and her reactions to Burt. If he had tried to take that tone with her she would have bitten his head off without another thought. With Kurt she just kissed his cheek and allowed him to put his forehead to hers, "There's no way I'd miss my little sister's birth now is there? Where's Finn?"

"He went to get some more ice chips," Rachel said, bringing in a cool, wet cloth from the attached bathroom. Burt nearly huffed when Carole graced her with a sweet, thankful smile as she wiped the cloth over Carole's brow. Rachel and Kurt shared a small smile. No, they would never be the best of friends, but they had learned to get along and they were even able to admit that they liked each other…a bit…now that it seemed Finn and Rachel were probably going to be Finn and Rachel for a good long time. They had survived their turbulent college years and they had survived Finn's knee injury and subsequent surgery and Rachel's European tour with her first show. They were a good, strong couple. Burt was proud of them. He would be even more proud when Finn finally manned up and gave Rachel the ring he'd been carrying around in his pocket for the last five months.

"He's a wimp," Miri snorted derisively, then leaned in to whisper to Kurt, loud enough for Burt to hear, "He can't handle Mama C yelling at him."

"I'll bet," Kurt laughed softly, but Burt could see the way his eyes went just a little bit distant, a little bit sad. Burt sighed softly, hoping that Kurt wouldn't hear him. Kurt loved Miri, but it was always hard for him lately to be around her. It was hard for him to see her and hear her when she looked and acted so much like Noah. It was hard for Kurt to have Noah so far away and in so much danger when they were so close to the end of his enlistment and he would be home so very soon. Miri seemed to understand. She was very perceptive for a sixteen year old girl and just kissed his cheek before excusing herself to go find out what was taking Finn so long. Kurt grabbed her arm as she was ducking out and pulled some soft of handkerchief out of his pocket.

"You're a mess, little girl," He sighed as he rubbed the oil stain from her cheek, "Have I taught you nothing?"

"You taught me plenty, Kurt," Miri leaned in to tweak his nose, "But, I let Daddy B teach me more." She laughed as she ducked Kurt's half hearted swipe and skipped out of the room.

"Does she ever get in a dress at all?" Kurt asked, only half serious.

"I think she put one on for homecoming," Burt answered, "But, next day she was right back in her jeans and coveralls. Hey," He held up his hands, "Kid likes engines. And she's the best damn mechanic I've ever had. There's no way in hell I'm changing her."

"I don't want to change her," Kurt sighed, "But, a little make-up every now and again never killed anyone!" He said the last part loudly, as if he was hoping Miri would hear him, then sighed, rolled his shoulders back as if bolstering himself, and turned his full attention back to Carole.

The pregnancy hadn't been planned. That was for damn sure. There was no way in hell that he and Carole would have planned to get pregnant when they had two boys graduating from college and were both in their forties. They hadn't been careful when they made love, but they had both thought that Carole was past childbearing age. And nothing had happened for three damn years. In fact, when Carole started having symptoms, they thought that maybe she was starting menopause. She'd gone to the doctor expecting to hear that that was exactly what it was. But, when he'd come home and she was sitting on the couch, wringing her hands, her face pale, for a moment his heart had jumped into his throat and he'd been taken back to that terrible time with Connie. He'd known he wasn't strong enough to go through that twice in a lifetime. But when he'd sat down and stilled her hands by covering them with his own, she'd begun to laugh. At first he'd thought it was hysterical, but he soon realized that it was joyful.

"We're going to have a baby, Burt," She'd whispered when he was hugging her close.

For a brief moment, he'd been terrified. Could they handle another eighteen years of worry and heartache? Of tantrums and slammed doors? Of little feet and cold little noses after an hour of playing in the snow? Could they handle the stories and the bedtimes and the bathtimes and the little body curled between them after a nightmare? When he'd realized that every single one of his doubts was beginning to be something that he wanted more than anything he'd begun to laugh with her. Maybe they were too old but, damn it, they were going to have the time of their lives finding out!

"We're going to have a baby!" He'd laughed so hard, kissing her all over her face.

The pregnancy was harder than either of them remembered it being when they'd been younger and the doctor monitored Carole very closely for complications, but in the end she'd come through it like a champ. Now all she had left was the delivery. And that was going just like he remembered and wished he didn't. He curled and uncurled his fingers a couple of times when Kurt sat on the edge of the bed and took over for him, letting Carole curl her fingers around his small hand. Burt smiled with a tiny bit of pride when Kurt only flinched a little at Carole's grip. He wasn't sure whether it was pride in the way his son bore up or pride in the his wife's grip. He kind of liked it that way.

"When are they going to move you into delivery, Mom?" Kurt asked.

"Soon," Burt answered as Rachel quietly coached Carole through another contraction and Kurt made sympathetic noises from the back of his throat and stroked her hair gently, "Last time the doctor came by, about forty minutes ago, she was nine dilated. He said it shouldn't be long."

"Good," Kurt soothed and cooed again, "Have you decided on a name yet?"

"Yes," Carole nodded.

"We have?" Burt asked, "News to me."

"Burt," And for a moment she was his sweet, loving wife again. She reached out and stroked his cheek, "It just came to me. It's perfect."

"What is it?" Burt asked, exasperated, turning his face to kiss her palm.

"Constance Christine." Carole sighed. Burt felt his heart flutter then settle.

"Of course. Of course that's her name, honey. I don't know why we didn't think of it sooner."

"We didn't think of it sooner because you can be such a dumbass, Burt Hummel!" Carole yelled, and turned back to Rachel.

"That didn't last long," Burt murmured under his breath.

"But it will all be worth it when she gets here, won't it?" Kurt asked quietly.

"Sure will," Burt grinned, "If dumbass is the worst she calls me I'll count myself lucky. Your mom called me a lot worse when she was having you. And in at least three different languages I'm pretty sure."

Kurt grinned back at him and then turned back to squeeze Carole's hand. An hour later, an hour of his life that he was going to try his damnedest to forget like he had with Connie or else he probably would have run for the hills when Carole told him she was pregnant, he knew Kurt was right. It had all been worth it. Because Carole was crying now, her face more radiant that he had ever seen it, and the nurse was walking toward them with a squally, squirming bundle wrapped in pink. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he cried like a baby when Kurt was born and he would never be ashamed that he was crying like a baby as their little girl was laid in Carole's arms. She was so tiny, so very perfect. Carole unwrapped her gently and they counted her perfect little fingers and her perfect little toes together. Ten of each, just like they were expecting. She was red and wrinkled, her eyes screwed together as she squalled and no little girl had ever been more perfect. Burt ran the back of a finger over her cheek and held his breath when her cries slowed, then stopped and she opened sweetly blue and unfocused eyes.

"Hi, baby girl," Carole whispered softly, "Hi, pretty baby. Been waiting for you for so long. You know, Chris was so certain that Finn was a girl. So certain. I kind of got used to the idea. Then, when Finn came out and he was a boy…I mean, no matter how much I love him I was a little…not disappointed, but…it's kind of like you and me…like we…were always supposed to have a little girl," She smiled up at Burt, her eyes tired and so, so happy, "And we'll have Finn there to chase away all the boys we don't want around her and Kurt there to help her snag the ones she wants."

"And Noah to be able to tell the difference, Rachel to indulge her girly whims, and Miri there when she wants to be a tomboy." Burt whispered, kissing Carole's brow before taking their little girl from her when she offered her up to him. She settled back and grinned as he smiled down on his little girl.

"Hi," he whispered, kissing her downy head, "Hi, Constance Christine. God, she's pretty, isn't she, Carole?"

"She's beautiful," Carole agreed sleepily, "Why don't you take her out to meet her brothers?"

"Yeah, okay." He leaned down and kissed his wife with as much love as he could manage, "Thank you, Carole. For this. For her. I love you."

"I love you, too, Burt," Carole murmured, "Don't be too long."

He could barely take his eyes off of his little girl to watch where he was walking as he made his way toward the waiting room. Luckily, it seemed that it was a common occurrence. The nurses just gently kept him away from all sharp corners and he was pretty sure that eventually one of them led him to the waiting room by taking his shoulders and steering. He wasn't entirely sure. He was too busy looking down at his Constance's beautiful eyes as she looked up at him like he was the most incredible thing she had ever seen. Kurt had used to look at him like that. He realized it felt good. It felt really good. Suddenly he knew that this was exactly right. All of the heartache, all of the sleepless nights, all of the worry, all of the pain was going to be worth it. He was giving up the next eighteen years of his life when he had thought that he was going to be able to settle down and just be with Carole for the rest of his life, but it was exactly right and exactly what he wanted to be doing. His children, those he'd helped make and those he'd helped raise, were the best things in his life.

"Hey," He called quietly. He smiled when he saw that Beks had joined the kids. Five dark heads jerked up and quickly after that five people were surrounding him, looking down at the baby, all talking at once, quietly, so as not to wake her. He had forgotten how quickly infants could fall asleep. But, he could remember very well how quickly infants woke up again and he was glad for their consideration.

"How's Mom?" Kurt and Finn asked at the same time.

"She's great. She's a trooper. You'll all have to come in and say goodnight before you go."

"Oh, Dad," Kurt breathed out on a sigh, "She's so beautiful. Can I hold her?"

"Course," Burt smiled as he handed his daughter over to his son.

"She's so teeny," Finn whispered, peering over Kurt's shoulder. Kurt craned his neck to look at Finn, the expression on his face unreadable for a moment before he turned back to look at his infant sister again.

"Yes, she is," He agreed, kissing her forehead, "Hi, Teeny."

"Oh no," Burt groaned, "Boys, you can't call her…"

"Finn, put your hand on Kurt's shoulder and smile so I can get the first picture of you two and Teeny," Rachel squealed from behind him and he threw up his hands and then shrugged in defeat. So, his boys were going to call their little sister Teeny. Who was he to stop them? Besides, it was kind of cute. And the way they were looking down at her, fully united in their love for her as they were in few other aspects of their lives, was kind of cute, too. He knew that they'd love her. They were her big brothers, but to know that they would adore her as well as love her, well, that was something that put his heart a little more at peace. Kurt and Finn grinned at the camera as Beks moved to Burt's side and gave him a hard hug. As soon as the picture was taken Rachel and Miri swarmed the boys and cooed over Teeny. He slammed his face into his palm as soon as he thought of his girl as Teeny. It was never going to be shaken loose. Not at this rate.

"Oh well," He murmured, wrapping an arm round Rebeka's waist.

"What?" She asked, smiling up at him.

"My daughter's name is going to be Teeny."

"It's cute," Rebeka giggled. She looked up at him with a small smile on her face, "You scared to be starting all over again?"

"Truthfully," He smiled down at the woman who had already allowed him to help raise her kids, "I'm terrified, Beks."

"Don't be. Burt, not only did you raise a great man, but you also helped raise Finn and my kids. God only knows what Noah would have become without you and Kurt. And it's you who taught Miri how to trust. I was scared she never would. Burt, you're one of the best men I know and by far the best husband and father. Carole's a lucky woman. And a great mom. So, don't be scared. Between the two of you, you got this."

"Thank, Beks." He would never admit that he was a little choked up.

"You're welcome. And thank you, too." She snuggled a bit and he pressed a kiss to her hair, feeling sentimental and happy watching Kurt fuss over Miri's hair (She'd cut it short herself and Burt personally thought it was cute in a pixie kind of way, but Kurt was scandalized.) and Finn and Rachel coo over the baby. As he watched Finn leading Rachel to a chair so that she could sit while she held the baby his chest got a little tight. Finn was looking at Rachel and Teeny with the most stunned expression on his face, like he couldn't wait for it to be there turn, for the baby in her arms to be theirs. Burt hoped they waited at least a couple more years because he wasn't sure he could handle being made a grandpa anywhere within a span of at least three years after being made a dad again. He turned back to Kurt when his son made a choked sound from the back of his throat.

"Kurt, son…" Burt took a step toward him, worried, when Kurt suddenly went sheet white and stumbled back a couple of steps until he tripped and sat hard on the floor, "Son, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I…" Kurt tried to speak, then put his hand to his lips and began to shake his head. His eyes never left the space just beyond Burt. He turned to look at whatever it was that had caught Kurt's eyes when Miri suddenly let out a high little scream and shot past him like a bullet.

"Noe!" She screamed.

"Oh, Noah!" Beks cried out and was out from under his arm in an instant.

"My ladies!" Noah called out. He cut a sharp figure in his dress duds, Burt had to admit. He dropped the white hat he'd been holding under his arm and threw it open to invite his mother into his embrace. His other arm was in a sling, Burt noticed and felt his heart clench. What the hell had happened to his boy? Noah winced when Miri threw herself against him next to their mother.

"Gently, Miriam," Beks murmured, then kissed her son's cheek gently, "Noah, baby…what happened? Are you alright, my love?"

"I'm fine, Ma," He assured her, kissing her hair, "I got my shoulder messed up at bit, but I'm okay. And I'm home, Ma. For good. Missed you." He kissed her forehead.

"What am I?" Miri demanded.

"You are a twerp," Noah laughed, "And I missed you, too." He pressed a kiss to Miri's dark hair, then turned his eyes back to Kurt, still seated on the floor. Miri and Beks let him go, their smiles bright and loving, when he began to move toward Kurt like he was in a trance. Burt wanted to let him go right away, knowing that his son would need to have Noah in his arms to believe he was actually there, but he had to do the same before he could believe it himself.

"Son," He murmured, taking Noah's free elbow as he passed.

Noah seemed to see him for the first time. He sagged against Burt's chest and allowed himself to be wrapped up. Burt could finally breathe again for the first time since Noah had come into his sight. Noah was bigger than he remembered, more filled out. Burt was as careful as he could be while he hugged the hell out of Noah, but didn't feel so bad when he realized that Noah was hugging him just as tight with his good arm. The idea that anyone had done anything to Noah to hurt him made Burt so angry he couldn't see straight, but it was cancelled out by how much relief flooded through him to have Noah back in his arms. He knew, because of how much he had been able to talk to Noah over the past few years and everything that Kurt had told him, that the military had made the bad boy a man and he was glad for it. Even with Kurt's steadying love, Noah had been floundering. He'd needed the military. Some did. And now he was back and still as in love with Kurt as he had ever been. Kurt had confessed to Burt that first New Year's Eve, after way too much champagne that Mercedes and Santana had given him, that he was so afraid the military would brainwash the boy he loved, that his love would be beaten out of him. Obviously that wasn't the case. Burt could have told him that from the beginning.

"Dad," Noah buried his face in Burt's neck for a minute, before he pulled back and lifted the necklace Burt was pretty sure he had never taken off from around his neck, "You were right. Lost causes. Don't tell my mom, but I think he kept me safe. I…don't tell Kurt this…ever…but, an inch more to the right and…Dad…"

Noah was trembling. Burt only knew it because he felt it, but he squeezed Noah's arm to let him know that he understood, then nodded at the medallion before stilling Noah's hand from taking it off, "You keep it, son. Someday give it to your own kid or some smartass punk you see something in who just might need it." Noah smirked and Burt grinned, "Now, go talk Kurt down from the panic attack he's working himself into."

Puck sketched a sloppy salute at him and moved toward Kurt, who was still on his butt on the floor, his hand to his mouth.

"You didn't tell anyone you were coming home," Kurt whispered when Noah had crouched in front of him.

"Didn't know I was until they offered this morning," Noah shrugged with his good shoulder, "By the time my shoulder's all healed up, my enlistment's up. I'm home for good, Kurt."

"Home for good," Kurt murmured. Burt was starting to worry about him. His eyes were glassy and vacant and his voice was very close to monotone.

Puck just smiled at him gently, "Yeah, Hummel. Home for good. You seriously just going to sit there on your ass or are you going to make me feel welcome?"

"I…" And suddenly Kurt came to life. He threw himself at Puck and forced them both to the ground. Somehow he managed to be careful of Noah's shoulder even as he laid on top of him and kissed the hell out of him in the middle of the hospital waiting room. Miri began to whistle. Beks laughed joyfully. Rachel rolled her eyes at both the men on the floor and Finn, making a show of covering Teeny's eyes. Burt just grinned. When Kurt and Noah finally broke apart they were both grinning, too.

"I love you, Puckerman." Kurt said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Love you, too, Hummel." Noah answered.

"Come meet Teeny."

"Teeny?" Puck leaned his head back so that he was looking at Burt upside down, "God, Dad, please tell me you and Carole didn't actually name your new baby Teeny."

Burt just threw his head back and laughed. It was good to have everyone home again.

_Nobody's gonna kill your dreams  
Or tell you how to live your life  
There'll always be people to make it hard for a while  
But you'll change their heads when they see you smile_

The times you were born in may not have been the best  
But you can make the times to come better than the rest  
I know you will be honest if you can't always be kind  
Oh yes, sweet darling  
So glad you are a child of mine


	6. Chapter 6

**Title:** I'll Be There (6/6)  
**Author:** telepathichawk  
**Rating: **K+, PG  
**Character(s)/Pairing(s):** Burt, Kurt. Puck/Kurt in later chapters. Burt/Carole, Finn/Rachel  
**Genre: **General/Family  
**Warnings: **None.  
**Spoilers: **Anything up to the end of season one is fair game, though I'm not sure there's anything really.  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own Glee. I make no profit from this.  
**Author Notes:** This small series was inspired by six songs. They are as follows: "I'll Be There" as performed by The Jackson Five, "Lullaby" as performed by Billy Joel, "Breeze Off the River" from the musical The Full Monty, "When You Come Back Down" as performed by Nicklecreek, "Child of Mine" as performed by Carol King, and "All You Need is Love" as performed by The Beatles.

Final chapter! Sorry it's been so long in coming! I hope you like it! I may do more sometime in the future. There's so much possible! But, for right now this is it! Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with this. Happy reading! Please leave a comment if you have a moment!  
**Summary: **A fluffy interconnected series of one shots mostly about the relationship between Burt and Kurt Hummel.  
**Word Count: **~4,000

_There's nothing you can do that can't be done  
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung  
Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game  
It's easy_

Burt Hummel smiled down at his newest grandbaby, the first girl, where her head rested on his shoulder as he sang to her quietly and rocked her back and forth, back and forth. She was the most fussy baby he had ever seen in his life, that included both Kurt and Teeny, neither of whom had been exactly low maintenance. But, they all supposed that she had the right. She had fought so hard for her life in the first weeks after her birth and there had been so many times when they weren't certain that she was going to make it at all that none of them could get angry when she was fussy and cranky. Just having her there was a relief. And she was so beautiful when she was sleeping calmly and peacefully, like she was now. Her skin was a pretty golden caramel, her hair a true black that had darkened from the deep brown it had been at her birth. So far her eyes hadn't changed from their cloudy blue, but he was betting that they darkened to green or grey before she was a year old. Carole thought that they might stay blue. He wasn't sure which he'd like more. As long as his little Blackbird stayed healthy he was sure that her eyes would be the most beautiful he had ever seen. She made a little distressed noise from her position on his shoulder and he cooed gently before humming another verse to get her to settle into deeper sleep again. She sighed as heavily as a baby could and fell still after putting her fist in her mouth and suckling. She would wake up hungry. That was good. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her smooth sweet smelling skin. He liked being one of the only ones who had the magic touch when it came to her. He liked that there were only three people in the world that she quieted for and that he was one of them.

She really did need this nap, especially with everyone else coming over later for their big winter holiday dinner, but he was kind of loathe to put her down. He so very rarely got to see her. But, he realized with a sigh, he had to. He knew that the timer was about to go off on Carole's pies and if she was anywhere near it when it did he would never get her back down. It was going to be hard enough to keep her calm with so many people in the house. If she was tired, too, he'd be sentencing her parents to a night of pacing and cranky crying. He kind of loved his kids too much to do that. He measured his steps very carefully as he first climbed the stairs, then walked down the hall to place her in the crib set at the edge of her parents' bed. She began to murmur in distress again when he laid her down, but a couple of minutes of humming and rubbing her back got her to settle back down. He turned on the smooth classical music that was always to be played while she was sleeping and quietly slipped out of the room. He made it downstairs and into the kitchen just in time to turn the timer off just before it sounded and slipped Carole's pies out of the oven and onto the cooling rack. He was tempted to sneak a piece, but he knew that Carole would kill him, so he distracted himself by going into the front room and looking out the window when he heard the cars pull up.

He grinned as everyone he considered his family began to pour out of the minivan that Finn and Rachel had purchased earlier in the year and Miri made fun of relentlessly every time they were home and the large SUV that Noah and Kurt had rented at the airport when they flew in just a couple of days ago. As he watched Finn swooped ten year old Teeny off of her feet and tossed her over his shoulder. She was kicking, but he could see the smile on her red cheeks. Carole and Beks were, at the same time, scolding him, telling him to put the girl down before she lost all of the hot chocolate she had consumed at the skating pond down his back. Scott, the man Beks had married nearly ten years before, told them both to stop worrying. Burt had a tendency to agree with him. Rachel smiled at all of them as she helped the eight year old twins, perfect little blends of herself and Finn, out of the van and cautioned them not to run up the slick walk. Miri was just coming around the SUV, Rachel and Finn's youngest, just three, on her hip. Her boyfriend Josef, probably going to be her husband someday soon if he ever worked up the balls to just ask her already (He'd bought the ring months before.), met her there and kissed her quickly before he pulled the hat more snugly over the little boy's ears. She grinned up at him and linked their hands together before they began moving up the drive.

He didn't even see Kurt and Noah until the door had opened and his clan was trouping in, shaking snow from their hair and generally making a ruckus. He listened for the telltale cries that they were going to have a very fussy Mahina on their hands for the rest of the night, but it seemed that the music and the floor between her and them was enough to keep her from waking. He couldn't help the soft smile that came to his face when he looked back to the window and saw Kurt and Noah taking a moment for themselves as everyone else headed in. Noah was leaning against the side of the SUV, his legs spread just wide enough that Kurt was resting comfortably between them. His hands were on Noah's chest, Noah's thumbs were hooked into the belt loops of Kurt's ridiculously expensive jeans. They were smiling at each other, talking quietly, looking more exhausted and happier than he had ever seen either of them.

It was so hard to have them so far from home. He was so proud of them. After Noah came home they worked hard to get to know each other again as the men they had become in the four years since they had been able to be together for any extended period of time. It had been hard on them and there had been more than one fight that Kurt had called them after, just needing to hear Carole and himself tell him that fighting was a natural part of any relationship. But, things had gotten better after they moved into an apartment in New York City (That had made Burt sigh, but the boys wanted to be there.) and Noah had started culinary school. It wasn't something that any of them, including Noah, had ever thought he would want. But, after they had moved in together he'd found that his greatest joy and stress relief was in cooking elaborate meals for Kurt to come home to after a long day at the high end boutique he and two of his friends from his design program had just started. Six hard, work filled years later Kurt's business was finally turning a noticeable profit, not just barely keeping up with the bills and Noah had been offered the position of sous chef at an established five star restaurant with the promise of being made head and executive chef when the current chef retired, which he had been threatening to do for years as soon as he knew that his kitchen would be taken care of. Only six months after Noah signed on the other chef had happily moved to Florida and Noah had the job of his dreams.

_There's nothing you can make that can't me made  
No one you can save that can't be saved  
Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time  
It's easy_

"Daddy!" His Teeny, his little ball of energy, threw herself at him and he caught her on the fly, well used to her behavior. He was sad that it couldn't last forever, but he knew that in the next year or so she would probably decide that it was below her teenaged self to throw herself at her old dad for hugs.

"Teeny girl," he smiled down at her rosy cheeks and bright eyes. She puckered up for a kiss and he leaned down to oblige her, "Did you have a good time?"

"Great," She giggled, "Finn can't skate! He kept falling down! And Rachel taught me how to skate backwards and Joe…"

"Hold it, half pint," Miri put her hand over Teeny's mouth, "That's my line." Burt caught the flash on her finger and felt his eyes tear up. He hadn't seen his tomboy so unsure since her first co-ed dance. She was shifting back and forth and not meeting his eyes.

"Teeny, you let your dad and Miri talk a bit. There's cookies in the kitchen. Better come get some of the star ones before the boys eat them all." Carole blew Burt a kiss and mouthed "Be nice," before she held out a hand for Teeny. Miri made a face when Teeny licked her hand, and let the kid go. Burt smiled at his wife and daughter before turning back to Miri, who was wringing her hands.

"So…Miri…what's up, kiddo?"

"Daddy B, Joe asked me to marry him. But, I…I won't do it unless you think that he's the right one. I mean, you're the best man I've ever known and you mean so much to me…"

"Miri," Burt sighed, then moved so that he could sit in his chair. He opened his arms and chuckled a little when she threw herself into them and curled up on his lap. She had gone through her phase, too, when it wasn't cool to curl up with Daddy, but it had passed. She was his little girl as much as Teeny and he was so happy for her.

"Daddy B…" She looked up at him with such hope in her eyes.

"You love him, Miri?"

"Yes." No hesitation.

"He love you?"

"Yes." No hesitation again. If there had been a single moment Burt would have chased Josef from the house and never let him come back.

"You know, he asked me if he could ask you months ago…" She looked up at him with surprise and he cupped her pretty face in his hand, "Do you really think I would have told him he could if I didn't think he was the best thing for you?"

"Nope," Miri smiled and the tears spilled over.

"Aw, baby, don't do that. That's not fair." He hugged her close, setting his chin on the top of her head, feeling the tears come into his own eyes.

"Woah…" Finn stepped into the room, "Everything okay?"

"Everything's great," Burt said, "Joe and Miri are getting married."

"Yeah, I know." Finn grinned, "He asked her at the pond. It's pretty great, right?"

"Yeah, it's pretty great," Burt agreed, kissing Miri's hair again, "Kids getting cookies?"

"Yep, Mom's loading them with sugar. Rachel and I are going to take off for a while if that's okay. You know…have some coffee."

"Escape from the sugar high," Miri laughed.

"Yep," Finn grinned, "You can deal with it, Aunt Miri, Grandpa. After the crash they'll all probably go down for a nap. Probably a good thing so that they'll be good for dinner. Hey…" He took three big strides to where Burt and Miri were curled up on the armchair and leaned down to kiss Miri firmly. She returned the lavish kiss with a happy giggle, "Congrats again, Twerp."

"Thanks, Jerkface." She leaned back into Burt as Finn left, "You'll walk me down the aisle, Daddy B?"

"You don't want Noah to do it, sweetheart?"

"I'm already the best man, Dad," Noah smiled as he walked into the room, a couple of open beers in his hands. He handed one over to Burt, then took a deep pull of his own before handing it to Miri, "I don't need to be pulling double duty."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Miri kissed Burt, then got up, "I better go get some of those cookies before they're all gone." She took a pull from the beer, then handed it back to Noah.

There's nothing you can know that isn't known  
Nothing you can see that isn't shown  
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be  
It's easy

"Kurt up checking on Mahina?" Burt asked as Noah settled in on the couch.

"Yeah. How was she?" Burt watched him lean his head back and would have been concerned at just how dark the smudges under his eyes were, just how gaunt he looked, if he hadn't known himself what it was like to take care of a very fussy baby. He and Connie had done it. He and Carole had done it. Sure, they'd looked like zombies for the better part of six months, but they'd survived and Kurt was an adult now while Teeny was well on her way to becoming one. They would all be fine.

"Good as gold. She fell right asleep. Long as everyone keeps it down and the music keeps on in the room I'm sure she'll be great for tonight."

"Oh, good," Noah sighed, "No one ever tells you how tired you're going to be."

"Shit, kid, it's because it's all worth it after a while. You swear you're never going to do it again, never going to put yourself through it again, and all of the sudden they're waist high and talking and you forget everything bad that comes with it. You only remember the good stuff."

"Can't wait for that." He was more asleep than awake, Burt realized. He smiled and got up, pulling the beer from Noah's loose fingers before he set it on the table.

"Come on, kid. Lay down right or you'll wake up with a crick in your neck."

Noah was pliable as a doll as Burt tugged his shoulder just a little and helped him to lay down. He tucked a pillow under Noah's head and pulled the blanket from the top of the couch to cover his shoulders.

"Thanks, Dad," Noah sighed.

"You're welcome, kid." Burt couldn't help the smile that came to his face as he ran his hand over Noah's hair. He'd let it grow out on the past few years and Burt was hard pressed to remember the Mohawked kid who had given him grief when he looked at the man whose hair was just a little too long. Because the man had married his son. The man was successful and happy and helped make his son the same. The man was a father to his only granddaughter. The man was someone he respected and loved very much. He looked around a second to make sure that he was alone and that Noah was truly asleep before he pressed a brief kiss to Noah's temple. It was harder getting back to his feet from his knees than it had been a couple of years ago, but he figured it was something of a battle scar to be proud of. Getting old was nothing to be ashamed of. At least that was what Carole told him and he figured if he told himself the same every day he might actually start to believe it.

He laughed as he passed through the controlled chaos that was the kitchen. Beks and Scott were pretending that no one else was there and making out like a couple of teenagers under the mistletoe that Carole had hung. He bumped them gently on his way and they didn't even look ashamed as they looked over at him. He just grinned and was glad. They had no reason what-so-ever to be ashamed. Miri and Joe were laughing as they played cards with the twins and Teeny. It wouldn't last much longer, he was sure. All of the kids had had too much sugar. In another few minutes Chris and Jake would probably take off and need to do something. Teeny would be a little calmer, but she would want to tear around with the boys and with enough encouragement she would do so. He wondered if he could convince Miri and Joe to take the three of them to a movie or something. It would be best to keep them out of the house as much as possible or they would wake Mahina and Caleb when he went down. He turned to look at his wife, swaying softly with Caleb on her hip. She was singing softly in his ear and he was falling asleep on her shoulder. He would have a good nap. Burt moved into the room and kissed his wife before stroking his hair over Caleb's dark hair.

"Noah's down for a bit," he said quietly, "Try to keep the kids out of the living room."

"I'll see if Miri and Joe or Beks and Scott wouldn't mind taking the older kids to a movie," She nodded and smiled at him.

"Sweetheart," He kissed her again, "You read my mind."

He moved up the stairs and quietly opened the door to the room Kurt and Noah were staying in. His sleek, stylish son had never looked more wrecked as he cried quietly over his daughter's crib.

"Kurt?" He asked, panic rising in his throat, "Everything okay?"

"Dad," Kurt turned. He held a finger up to his lips. His voice was low, "Everything's fine. She's great. I was just…I couldn't help but…She looks so much like Leilani sometimes…"

"Aw, Kurt," Burt moved into the room and pulled Kurt close to him, letting his son grip the fabric of his shirt and cry silent tears into it.

Leilani had been Kurt's closest friend at school and one of the two women he had opened his shop with. They had been close. So close that when Noah and Kurt had decided that they were ready to have a baby Leilani had offered to be their surrogate. It was supposed to be an open adoption in a way. Kurt and Noah would be Mahina's parents, but she would always know that Leilani was her mother and Leilani would be welcome to see her anytime and spend as much time with her as she wanted. But, it hadn't happened that way. Leilani had been hit by a drunk driver while she was crossing the street one night while she was pregnant with Mahina. She had held on at the hospital just long enough for them to get Mahina out and make sure that she was safe before she died. Mahina's birth had been too early, she'd been too small. And Kurt and Noah had had to deal with their grief over the loss of their friend at the same time as they worried over their baby, in an incubator, tubes and wires all around her, where they could barely touch her. The doctors had told them not to get their hopes up.

But, Mahina had defied all the odds. She was a fighter and Kurt and Noah's daughter through and through. Still…it was hard. Especially at this time of year. This time last year they had all been gathered around the table, Leilani included, sharing what they were thankful for. Kurt, Noah, and Leilani had said each other and their baby. This year they were supposed to have been able to say the same thing. It was still hard for all of them. Burt looked at the little table next to the crib. No matter where they went there would always be a picture of Leilani for Mahina. They would always honor her mother. Burt and Carole had the same picture of her, looking over her shoulder, smiling like she knew all of the world's secrets, next to the pictures of Chris and Connie they had on their dresser. There were happier ones downstairs, a series of three that never failed to make him smile. The three of them were on a park bench, Leilani's belly large with Mahina as she sat in between the guys. In the first Kurt and Noah were kissing her cheeks at the same time and she was laughing. In the second her arms were around their shoulders as they pressed kisses to her belly. In the third the three of them were smiling at the camera straight on, their hands linked on Leilani's lap. They all missed her. The same three pictures were in Finn and Rachel's home, Beks and Scott's home and Miri and Joe's apartment.

"It's okay, bud," Burt rubbed Kurt's back, "I know. Just let it all out."

"It's just…hard. She always said that her favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. I miss her so much sometimes, Dad. I loved her so much."

"She was one of your best friends, Kurt. It's okay to love her and it's okay to miss her. She gave us everything by making sure she held on until Mahina was born. We're all going to miss her. Every day."

Kurt buried his face and sobbed harder. He kept quiet, but Burt could feel his body shaking like a leaf. He kept whispering to him, nonsense words that he wasn't sure even he understood. But, the content didn't matter so much as the intent did. And the intent was to comfort. He held Kurt as he sobbed and let a few tears slip himself, remembering coming into the room last year and finding Kurt, Noah, and Mahina sharing the bed. Noah had been spooning Kurt as Mahina faced them and the three of them giggled as they pictured what their baby would look like. When Burt had cleared his throat, they'd just pulled him onto the bed with them and they'd all laughed as they made as ridiculous of suggestions for names as they could think of. He'd hardly known her and he missed her like hell. He could only imagine what it was like for Kurt. He rubbed his back until the shaking stopped, but kept his arms around Kurt until he pulled away. As quickly as his emotional storm had come on it dissipated and Kurt was wiping his face with the back of his hand. Burt had always envied him the ability to do that.

"I love you, Dad," He smiled though his eyes were still a little watery, "Thanks."

"Anytime, Kurt," Burt smiled, "I love you, too. What are you doing up here all alone? There's cookies in the kitchen. The kids are actually behaving themselves. For now."

"I just…I like to make sure that I can see her when she's sleeping. I…"

"Set two fingers to her tiny little back to make sure that she's still breathing." Burt felt his lips tug up at the corners.

"I…" Kurt ran a hand through his hair, "Yeah. I do. How did you know?"

"I did the same thing with you the first month you were home. I'd get up twenty times a night just to put my hand on your back and make sure. Got so bad your mom told me to just bring you into the bed with us."

"Noah says the same thing." Kurt laughed and hugged his elbows, "He's downstairs?"

"Yeah, taking a nap on the couch."

"No, he was taking a nap on the couch," Noah's voice was rough with sleep and grump, "The monsters got him up. Miri and Joe are taking them all to a movie while Mom and Mama C finish up Thanksgiving dinner. So…we're taking a nap up here. Right now."

He swooped into the room, picked Mahina up gently and moved to the bed without saying anything. Mahina didn't even make a peep as he laid down and put her on his chest. He looked up at Kurt with an eyebrow raised and held out his hand. Kurt smiled indulgently and looked back at Burt.

"Come get us if the moms need help with anything."

"You three just take a nap," Burt ruffled Kurt's hair and laughed softly when his son glared at him, just like Connie, "I'll come wake you up in a little bit."

"Thanks, Dad."

He turned around at the door just in time to see Kurt settling in, laying his head on Noah's shoulder before they linked hands just under Mahina's tiny little feet and Noah kissed Kurt's forehead. He shut the door and began to hum quietly. From inside the bedroom he could hear Kurt echoing him, using the words. He smiled and headed toward the stairs. Maybe he could charm his wife out of a piece of pie early. It was worth a shot.

_All you need is love  
All you need is love  
All you need is love, love  
Love is all you need  
_


End file.
